heavy 5-weight M&L 1 steers$332.23/cwt≈ $1,903/hd at 573 lb · 166 head
light 4-weight M&L 1 steers$369.35/cwt+17.35 vs last sale · ≈ $1,570/hd at 425 lb · 110 head
heavy 6-weight M&L 1 steers$290.84/cwt≈ $1,940/hd at 667 lb · 85 head
Receipts
Head
This sale
Last sale
Last year
Total receipts
1,659
767
1,105
Feeder cattle
943
419
154
Slaughter cattle
215
243
100
Replacement cattle
501
105
851
Market comments — USDA reporter
Compared to last sale: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers heifers. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Plain to average quality calves sold on much stronger demand compared to last week. Most cattle were long weaned from 45-100 days. Package sizes were mostly small to moderate this week and larger than last week. Several partial load lots were seen this week. CME positions pushed higher today but have traded unevenly since last week. The March contract closed today at 252.30, 0.70 lower than last Tuesdays close. The April closed at 257.175 today, 1.775 lower than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was good to very good. Packers opted to send most of the cow offering to slaughter this week as supplies remain tight. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher on Premium white and Breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Private feeding buyers pushed feeding cows higher as they pushed to buy them away from packers. Very few feeding cows were seen last week thus no comparisons can be made. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Another set of fed cows sold this week. Most of these offerings were fed for over 100 days. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Demand from both feeding and rebreed buyers helped push these offerings higher, with many selling near the same price levels as late fall. A moderate offering of bred cows was seen this sale. Demand for bred cows was mostly good with a large crowd on hand for todays bred portion of the sale.
USDA feeder grades describe frame size and muscle thickness, not quality of
the individual animal. "Medium and Large" is the frame score; the number is
muscle (1 = heaviest muscled). "Medium and Large 1–2" pens mix both muscle
scores — common across the Southeast.
What is $/cwt?
Dollars per hundredweight — per 100 lb of animal. A 500-lb calf at
$450/cwt brings 5 × $450 = $2,250. Lighter cattle usually bring more per
cwt but less per head.
Why are some prices per head?
Bred cows, cow-calf pairs, and some replacement classes sell by the
head, not by weight. We show those exactly as USDA reports them — a
$/head figure is never converted into $/cwt on this site.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service's Livestock Market News —
federal reporters at the sale. We publish each report in full and link the
official USDA document at the top of the page.
Cattle Market
Compared to last sale: Feeder steers and heifers were too lightly tested last week to develop a full market trend, however higher undertones were noticed on both steers heifers. Demand was mostly moderate to good for light to moderate offerings. Quality this week was mostly average with a limited offering of attractive cattle seen. Plain to average quality calves sold on much stronger demand compared to last week. Most cattle were long weaned from 45-100 days. Package sizes were mostly small to moderate this week and larger than last week. Several partial load lots were seen this week. CME positions pushed higher today but have traded unevenly since last week. The March contract closed today at 252.30, 0.70 lower than last Tuesdays close. The April closed at 257.175 today, 1.775 lower than last Tuesdays close. Market activity was mostly moderate to active this week. Weigh up cows sold on mostly good demand for light to moderate offerings. Demand for slaughter cows was good to very good. Packers opted to send most of the cow offering to slaughter this week as supplies remain tight. Slaughter cows sold mostly 2.00-5.00 higher on Premium white and Breaking cows. Boning and lean cows sold mostly 3.00-6.00 higher. Private feeding buyers pushed feeding cows higher as they pushed to buy them away from packers. Very few feeding cows were seen last week thus no comparisons can be made. Slaughter bulls were too lightly tested to develop an accurate market trend, however steady undertones were noticed. Weigh up conditions were mixed today. Another set of fed cows sold this week. Most of these offerings were fed for over 100 days. Young age cows were too lightly tested last week to develop an accurate market trend, however higher undertones were noticed. Young cow quality was mostly average to attractive this week. Demand from both feeding and rebreed buyers helped push these offerings higher, with many selling near the same price levels as late fall. A moderate offering of bred cows was seen this sale. Demand for bred cows was mostly good with a large crowd on hand for todays bred portion of the sale.